Accessories Reviews

Have bought other small (T-Fal & Faberware) pans but this is the only one durable enough to withstand the grill. Quite handy for other small warm-ups outside and in. Very charming and rustic. A total delight to have around and an essential part of any kitchen. Great price, too!

This is such a handy little pan! It's just the right size for melting butter, warming syrup, or keeping basting sauce hot on the grill when you cook out. And cast iron can't be beat for durability and ease of cleaning.

This little pan is perfect for melting chocolate or butter. It is great for making a sauce or small amount of gravy. Like all Lodge products it is very well made and a delight to use. You cannot go wrong with this product if you season it correctly when new.

This little gadget makes the best coffee (read about it long ago in a Tony Hillerman novel, and what do you know!, it really was as good as Joe Leaphorn said!). Anyway, I've had a couple of these for twenty years and broke one. I have been searching high and low for years to find a replacement. I'm so happy to be able to buy it again and now I can get extras for gifts. People are always so surprised when they taste the coffee. It's always perfect and tastes much better than coffee made in most coffee makers. As long as you can boil water, you can have a great cup of coffee wherever you go.

This is the way to make coffee if you are like me -- love coffee but hate the sour bitter watery flavor you get out of most coffee machines.

In regular machines, you usually can't taste the difference between brands of coffee. That all changes once you figure out how to make coffee the right way -- in one of these.

Coffee recipe in the melita:

3-4 tablespoons of medium ground coffee grinds. The amount depends on the roast of the coffee. Darker more flavorful beans get about 3 tbsp, light breakfast roast beans get 4 tbsp.

12 oz (1 1/2 cup) cold water in microwave safe measuring cup.

Microwave 2 1/2 minutes in microwave (until bubbles start forming on the sides of the container) The goal is 155-170F water. (If you happen to have a meat thermometer -- that is medium well.)

***DON'T boil the water**** it leaves the coffee tasting bitter and horrible.

Hotter water gives you more bitter coffee, but takes less grinds. Cooler water gives less bitter more flavorful coffee, but uses lots and lots of grinds to get full flavor.

Now, pour the water through the grinds in your melita filter and into your cup.

Mmmmmm java-licious.

This little doodad is a great item to have. Not only is it quicker than waiting for an entire pot to be made, but it's a fresh cup every time you need it. Only criticism I have, is that it's a little difficult to find in stores.

My old one from the early 1950s is stamped Victoria as this company did back then, and a few of the blades are different, but it has survived much use. The plastic sides have long since decomposed and been replaced with handmade light alloy. The only thing that's been cheapened since then is apparently the liners. They were once white brass, but all have been aluminum for decades now. There is no better pocketknife made, in my opinion.

This knife is my favorite of all the Victorinox army knives. It has the most useful tools, basic blades, the corkscrew, the sizzors, the awl (with hole for sewing). You can get the little eye glass screw driver and stow it in the corkscrew. The other larger knives IMO are too bulky and have tools which really aren't up to any major hard work. Pruning knives for trees, fish scalers, magnifiing glasses etc. for instance. So if you are going swiss army this is the best of the bunch. Price/size/utility, its a good deal.

I recieved this knife as a gift from my friend. Just from the feeling of it, I could tell that this was a high quality knife. It's made of high quality metal and was made very well. It comes with a lot of useful tools such as a screw driver, bottle opener, toothpick, tweezers, and more. I like to take it with me because it makes travelling more convenient. The only thing I don't like about this knife is that it is rather hard to clean. Overall though a good product.

Bissell's 499 Little Green Compact Multipurpose Cleaner cleans really deep and fast. It is very effective and smells good. Our dog likes it too!

This is amazing cleaning solution. It works wonders on tought stains. It smells wonderful. I use this solution with my Hoover Steamvac and with my Little Green Clean Machine. Anytime someone comes over, they remark on that wonderfully refreshing scent that pervades my home. Not only does it smell good, it cleans amazingly.

With the help of my machines, this solution lifts out tough grime with a cinch. Small stains dissapear instantly and it leaves the carpet soft and fluffy to the touch. This is a great solution, and it is pretty much the best one out there. Don't settle for less than the best.

I have a white carpet that cleans with warm water. Unfortunately what looks clean does not have that just laid look and feel that this product brings to life. It is easy to handle and dispense. Having a dial for the concentration on the Bissell one can place concentrates where needed. So this bottle can last for the entire house in most cases

This product, along with my Bodum Assam tea press are the BEST purchases that I have made to date from Amazon. This thermal double-walled stainless-steel coffee & tea press insulates hot coffee or tea to keep it warm for up to two hours. The top part of the stainless steel filter has a closed position to keep the heat in & a strainer position when you need to pour. The end result is something that you can't get from an automatic, vacuum, drip, percolator, or tea bags. You get, instead, a rich, full, smooth, flavorful cup of joe or tea with perfectly extracted flavors and aromas. Since there isn't a paper filter to soak up the rich oils in coffee beans, the oils stay in the coffee where they rightfully belong.

The best practices for this press are the following: For a fine cup o' joe, grind fresh beans to a coarse consistency, add 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 ounces of water, add boiling hot water and let the grounds brew for about four to six minutes, depending on how strong you like your coffee before hitting the plunger on top to stop the brewing method.

Tea brews in basically the same manner, but add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of loose tea leaves for every 6 ounces of water, add boiling hot water for black & oolong teas and almost boiling (170 degrees) for green, herbal and white teas, let the grounds brew for about four to seven minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea, too much longer and you will get a bitter cup of tea, press the plunger and voila... a lovely spot o' tea!

I highly recommend this product! It is crafted of the best quality, is esthetically pleasing to look at & use and will last a lifetime!

I bought my Bodum coffee press before Christmas and quickly became "hooked" on the great flavor of the pressed coffee. The pot is very sturdy and cleans up great. I use it every day now.

I would definitely suggest this pot to any coffee lover.

I own both the 8- and 12-cup presses, and recommend them highly. They're durable, easy to clean, heat-retentive and easy to use when serving. A few hints: do follow the mfg.'s suggestion and use each vessel either for coffee or tea, so there's no transfer of coffee oils to your other brews. Also, it helps to retain heat if you keep the lid turned so that the spout is closed between servings. I also find that a spritz of vinegar before a thorough washing keeps you quality coffee/tea tasting its best. Having tried all sorts of other steeping devices, I can say that this Bodum is a winner, and worth the money.

I love this pot rack. I have a small kitchen and this really organized my space! It held all of my pots/pans and has room at top for additional items (extra lids, cookbooks, etc). I love it.

I searched around for a pot rack for ages, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. In the end I persuaded Santa to bring me one for Xmas. I love this rack, lots of room to hang and you can put your books on top too. It looks really classy too, which you want after buying all the bargain Calphalon pots here!!!!

I highly Recommend this rack, it is quite beautiful and pleasing to the eye once all the pots are arranged. This rack is very strong and sturdy, it holds all of my very heavy Calphalon pots and I use the top shelf to display my decorative bottles and some of my pot's glass cover. I have never been this much pleased with a product purchased online, if you've ever wanted a pot rack this is IT . I guarentee you will be very please.

This is the best kitchen gadget I have ever purchased. Not only will it tackle the toughest of bottle tops, it doubles as a meat tenderizer.

This is it. Alien technology finally available to the public. This is the only bottle opener you will ever need. This is also the only self defense weapon you will ever need. Put a lanyard through the hole and wear it around your neck. You will be ready to open any bottle you find as well as fend off attackers. No one will mess with you with this baby in your hand. Bottles will fear you as well...but after you pop the top off they will thank you. I promise.

My opening lines are: this is one efficient bottle opener.

We'd been looking for a bottle opener that would look good on our bar - not any of those "cutsey" openers that don't really work or are supposed to be "conversation pieces."

We are, of course, familiar with other KitchenAid products, and so sent for this. It's perfect, and can pop a cap quicker and more easily than any opener we've ever seen.

This is a common campfire cooking device. So my review will be based on camping.

Even heating and indestructability are what defines cast iron dutch ovens. Lodge is THE name in cast iron. If you have a campfire and want to cook anything besides a hotdog or marshmellow this is the way to do it.

Cast iron is prone to rust. So if you are camping in the rain expect a little orange. It comes off easily enough with a little scrubbing or some steel wool, but it is the major downside to cast iron. Oiling it helps reduce rust, but if it gets a lot of contact with water it will rust anyway.

Cast iron is heavy. Count this out if you are backpacking. I have no idea how much this weighs, but I am sure it is too much. Also if you are using one of those cute little backpacking stoves this is way to heavy to balance on them.

Overall I love to use cast iron whenever I can, but sometimes you just can't.

Dutch Oven cooking is experiencing a large revival in this country. With a small amount of charcoal briquets you can cook a roast, bake bread or cakes or make a batch of chili without heating up the house.

When it comes to the quality of the metal, design and durability, you can't beat Lodge cast iron. Try this new fad!

Down here in Cajun country I use my selection of Dutch ovens and cast iron pots for gumbos, stews, jambalayas, beans, chili, desserts like cobblers and cakes, biscuits, cornbread, frying, baking, soups, etc. Heck, I've even baked pizza! Never - repeat never have I had bad luck in the outcome. CAST IRON FOREVER!!!

This iron was sturdy and reliable to use in the US and Europe, still I recommend that if you are going to the Middle East or Africa, you do not take it with you, since the current over there fried mine.

I travel quite a bit with my fiance and we always had wrinkled clothes after my poor packing job in our suitcase. I decided to get this travel iron to help and I have not been disappointed!

This iron is tiny (weighs I think 1.7 pounds) and works extremely well! It heats up just as well as my at home iron! One of the other great features is the vertical steamer, which works extremely well too. It is very portable, especially since the handle folds to lie flat. It comes in a nice travel pouch as well.

The cost is extremely reasonable too, especially if it shows up in your gold box! With free shipping its a real bargin. I highly recommend this iron, you will not be disappointed!

I purchased this iron to use with sewing projects when I travel. It provides a generous amount of steam, is very easy to use, and is lightweight and easy to pack. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Adding this decanter to your wine accessories may very well save you a bundle. It can improve the taste of less expensive wines.

It has long been my habit to experiment with various types of wines at various prices, usually side by side. Generally I let the wine breathe in the bottle for a bit, then a bit more in the glass. I had found many of the "Oak" california wines a bit disappointing in particular because of the sharpness in the initial taste.

I purchased this decanter mainly to have a more attractive means of serving wine to guests. The decanter met that objective admirably but more importantly it improved the taste of the first wines I tried in it. I went back an purchased some of the wines I had previously dismissed and found that the decanter really does take the edge off making the wine more supple and smooth.

Its not all good news. In some instances the wine did not improve and in fact became thin and lack some of its previous life. I also noticed immediately (being a fanatic for not mixing wines) that if I was sampling several wines that it took a long while for the decanter to dry (and no use trying to wipe it out due to its shape). Thus you are somewhat limited to what you can decant at one setting (one decanter, one wine).

That being said I am contemplating buying a couple more so that I can continue my side by side examinations of wines and decant them all equally. If you buy one I hope you enjoy.

--Bona Salud

Great Decanter: not expensive, pretty and useful for developing great aromas and flavors hidden in a wine. It's true that not all wines should be decanted, but for the ones that should be, it's terrific!

This decanter is not only lovely to look at with its classic lines, it's great to use.